Fixture mounting means and method



April 24, 1962 A. WALLER 3,031,159

FIXTURE MOUNT-ING MEANS AND METHOD ,Filed March 30, 1960 INVENTOR. Arf/zz r Wa//er BY lffor/nays United States Pat titO 3,031,159 FIXTURE MOUNTING MEANS AND METHOD Arthur Waller, Highland Park, Ill., assignor to Bull Dog Lock Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 18,552 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-28) This invention relates to a method and means for hanging a fixture, such as a picture, mirror, trophy or the like, upon a wall, door or other vertically disposed surface and it relates more particularly to a bracket and means for employing same for the proper positioning of a fixture on a supporting surface.

At the present time, when hanging a fixture in the form of a picture or the like on a vertically disposed wall, difiiculties are often encountered properly to locate the suspension means for positioning the picture in the desired location on such vertically disposed wall. In picture hanging, for example, measurements are carefully made on the wall and on the picture frame in the attempt properly to locate the fastener or bracket on which the picture is to be suspended properly to position the picture in the desired location on the wall. Even though such measurements are carefully made, the majority of times the picture does not hang in the desired position by reason of the inability exactly to determine the position of engagement when suspended by picture wire or the like. As a result, it often becomes necessary to withdraw the hanger bracket from the wall for displacement a short distance to one side or the other or above or below the original setting with the result that the wall may become marred by the excessive number of openings left in the places from which the bracket has been removed. In many instances, it becomes necessary even after a number of trials and errors, to settle for a position other than the desired location, otherwise repairs would be required to conceal the damage to the supporting wall.

It is an object of this invention to alleviate the problems of hanging fixtures and to eliminate the trial and error method in proper location of the supporting bracket used in positioning such fixtures on the supporting wall.

Another object is to provide a method and means whereby the proper position for a mixture or the like can be accurately determined in a simple and efiicient manner to position the fixture or picture in the desired location on the wall or supporting surface, without trial and error.

These and other objects and advantages of this inven tion will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the back side of a picture frame embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of a hanging picture embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the back side of a bracket shown on the frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a modified form of bracket.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 identifies the wall or other vertically disposed structure on which the picture 12 or other frame or fixture, such as a mirror, trophy or the like (hereinafter generally referred to as a fixture) is adapted to be supported.

In mounting the fixture on the supporting wall, a bracket 14 is secured to the back side in the approximate location from which it is desired to suspend the fixture.

, 3,031,159 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 This will usually be at the approximate midpoint between the sides and offset upwardly a short distance from the center although other locations for suspension may be adopted.

The bracket comprises an elongate strip 20 of a relatively rigid material, such as may be formed of sheet metal, plastic and the like, having a central body portion 22 offset outwardly from the end sections 24 to provide an elongate slot 26 between the body portion 22 and the back side of the fixture 12 when the ends 24 are secured to the fixture. The end sections are provided with means for attachment to the back side of the fixture, such means being represented by openings 28 through which screws 30 may be inserted for threading into the back side of the fixture 12. Instead of screws 30, use can be made of nails or other equivalent securing means. The bracket is arranged to extend horizontally when attached to the fixture.

The body portion 22 of the bracket is formed with a series of recesses 32 in its lower edge portion arranged to extend substantially crosswise through the length thereof. Spaced upwardly from the grooved bottom edge of the body portion are one or more rearwardly offset portions 34 in the form of peaks aligned vertically with the base of the recesses 32 midway between the ends of the body portion. When two such offset points are employed, as in FIG. 4, the points are adapted to be vertically aligned with the recesses adjacent the recess in the center of the body portion. When only one such point is emplayed, as in FIG. 6, it is preferred to align the single point vertically with the center recess.

When it is desired to hang the fixture, the bracket 14 is secured in the desired position on the back side of the fixture. The fixture is then held in the position that it is desired to be located on the wall. When the exact position has been determined, the fixture is pressed onto the wall and the points 34 extending rearwardly from the offset body portion 20 of the bracket pierce or otherwise mark the wall, as indicated by the two points 36 shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the fixture is removed and a nail 36, screw or the like is driven into the wall in relation to the location of the marks.

If the fixture is to be supported on two such screws or nails, as illustrated in FIG. 4, then each nail or screw is driven into the wall at the two points indicated or immediately below so that the shank of the nail or screw will be received in perfectly fitting relationship into the base of the recesses underlying the points on the bracket. If, on the other hand, only one nail or screw is to be used in the mounting of the fixture, as illustrated in FIG. 3, then the nail or screw may be driven into the wall at a point midway between the marks 36. Thus the shank of the nail or screw will be received in the base of the center recesses perfectly to position the fixture in the desired location on the wall without the necessity for making measurements and without trial and error.

When only one nail or screw is to be employed, it will be sufiicient to make use of the bracket with but a single point, as illustrated in FIG. 6, to place but a single mark on the wall for indicating the proper place for the insertion of the screw or nail.

It will be apparent that the device described will provide a simple and etficient means for accurately marking the places on the wall where nails or screws are to be provided accurately to locate the fixture in the desired position on the wall and it will be apparent further that the device described will function as a simple and inexpensive bracket for securely and properly mounting the fixture upon the supporting surface.

It will be apparent that the device described will prothe details of construction, arrangement and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claim.

I claim:

A fixture for 'mounting'a bracket upon a verticalsupporting surface comprising an elongate strip of a relatively rigid and structurally strong material which is subdivided into a central elongate body portion and end portions oflfset upwardly from the ends of the body portion, means in the end portions for attachment-to the back side of the fixture in a manner to position the bracket horizontally on the fixture with a spaced relationship between the body portion and the back side of thefixture, more than two and up to several V-shaped recesses arranged in uniformly spacedapart relation across the lower edge of the body portion with the apexes of the V-shap'ed recesses uppermost in the body portion, a pair of laterally spaced apart dimpled portions in the 'body portion and'positioned to extend rearwardly from the body portion ment withthe apexes of the recesses on each side of the centermost recess to mark a vertical fixture supporting surface for positioning a pair of hanger elements to be received in seated relationship in the corresponding apex portions of any pair of alternate recesses in the bracket thereby'to enable the position of the fixture to be adjusted laterally relative to the support while enabling stable support of the fixture in the adjusted position on the two spaced apart points.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,400,150 Goble Dec. 13, 1921 1;600,919 Baalsrudvet al.. Sept. 21, 1926 2,641,427 Krogh June 9, 1953 

